


088. School - Stop Me in My Tracks

by Arok88



Series: The 100 [18]
Category: Backstreet Boys, Popslash
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, College, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 15:54:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30091506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arok88/pseuds/Arok88
Summary: Nick stopped and placed his backpack on top of the grey stone table in the middle of the outside cafeteria. He knew he should have put his schedule in his pocket when he’d gotten dressed that morning, but stupidly he had decided it would be safer inside his backpack. Now he was running late and for the life of him couldn’t remember the location of his next class.
Relationships: Nick Carter/Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The 100 [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092305
Kudos: 7





	088. School - Stop Me in My Tracks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FrickinKaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrickinKaos/gifts).



> Written for the lovely Kimmie!

Nick stopped and placed his backpack on top of the grey stone table in the middle of the outside cafeteria. He knew he should have put his schedule in his pocket when he’d gotten dressed that morning, but stupidly he had decided it would be safer inside his backpack. Now he was running late and for the life of him couldn’t remember the location of his next class. He was pretty sure it was in the Liberal Arts building, but he’d been wrong the last time. Who would have expected that a photography class was held inside the Information Technology building? He did not want to stumble into another class unsure of himself and where he belonged. It was embarrassing enough the first time. 

He rooted around in the backpack and had a momentary feeling of panic set in when on first inspection, the schedule was nowhere to be seen. He slammed his eyes closed and thought hard about what he was doing the last time he’d held the paper in his hands. It had been the night before when he was planning out his day. He had been holding his drawing notebook as well as his math book. He focused hard, seeing the paper in his mind. 

He reached in again and pulled out the new drawing pad. He flipped several pages and then shook it out onto the table. Blessedly, the small paper schedule fluttered out of the pad and landed on the table. He mentally thanked the universe for his good fortune and scooped it up. He scanned the page until he found his next class. 

Live Model Drawing 101 was held in the Libral Arts building, third floor, room 608. He glanced at his watch before looking back up and gazing across the quad. He had exactly fifteen minutes to get halfway across campus and to the third floor before he was late for another new class. He stuffed everything back into his backpack and roughly zipped it together before throwing it over his shoulder. Sliding his hands into the pocket of his hoodie, he took off down the sidewalk.

He was breathing hard, his breath coming out in gasps as he ran up the last few steps of the third story staircase. The line for the elevator had been too long and he didn’t have a second to waste by the time he entered the LA building. He took the stairs two at a time as he raced against the clock to arrive on time. Once he reached the landing of the third floor he searched desperately for a map that showed which direction the classroom numbers went. He hadn’t ever been up on the third floor and cursed himself for pushing the time so closely. He should have left earlier so he could have scoped out the location ahead of time. 

Finally finding the legend in the center of the landing he figured out the 600 numbered classrooms started to the right. He spun on his heels and hurried down the corridor, watching the numbers on the doors as he went. He felt a sense of relief fill him as his eyes landed on the 608 at the end of the hallway. He surged forward, ducking and weaving around students coming and going down the hallway. 

Finally in front of the door, he grasped the handle and gave it a tug before spilling into the room. His eyes went immediately to the front of the classroom, there didn’t appear to be an instructor present yet and Nick felt himself relax. He scanned the room, trying to locate a place to sit. He made his way to the right side of the room where there was an open space by the wall. The room was set up with large crescent shaped two person tables, arched in the middle to accommodate the space of the room. There was already a blonde haired girl sitting at the first seat. He gently reached his hand out to tap her on the shoulder, hoping he didn’t startle her as he did so.

“Hey, is this seat taken?” he asked softly, gesturing to the chair beside her. The chairs of the table were held on by an articulating arm and swung out from the table on a swivel. She swiveled in her chair and gazed up at him, her blue eyes smiling. 

“Nope. No one’s sitting here.” She gave him a shy smile and then allowed her chair to move her back in front of the table.

Nick smiled back and dropped down in the seat beside her. He placed his backpack on the table and quickly took out his notebook, drawing pad and a variety of pencils. Once he had everything set up how he wanted it he finally looked up and surveyed the rest of the room. The instructor still hadn’t surfaced and around the room table pairs were in deep conversations as they waited. He snuck a glance at the girl sitting beside him. She was doodling on her drawing pad, drawing what looked to Nick like some kind of dog as she idly moved her fingers quick and sure over the pad. 

“My name’s Nick.” he said suddenly, trying to come across as friendly instead of the creep he felt like as he watched her draw so intently. 

She turned to look at him, her long blonde hair falling in lines down her back. It was golden and straight and Nick wondered briefly if it felt as soft as it looked. Her hands were smeared with lead from the drawing she had been doing and Nick had the sudden urge to see the rest of the things she had deemed important enough to sketch out in the notepad. 

“I’m Kimmie.” she answered, her blue eyes were bright and held the hint of a smile. 

“Nice to meet you Kimmie. Is that a dog?” he asked, gesturing towards the page. 

She nodded. “We had to put him down right before I moved here. I find drawing to be therapeutic and it’s helped. Drawing has always been my life. I’ve been drawing in some form or another since I was five. I didn’t realize then it would become something I was so passionate about that I wanted to dedicate my career to perfecting it. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m drawing him until he appears on the page.” her smile turned sad and Nick cursed himself for putting such a sad look on her beautiful features. 

“I’m so sorry.” he said softly, reaching out to place his larger hand over hers. 

Her eyes flicked up to meet his and her cheeks took on a hint of pink. “Thank you.” she said gently. 

Nick smiled and gave her hand a squeeze before pulling his own back and picking up his pencil. He thought for a moment and then blurted out. “Do you want to get a drink tonight?”

Her eyes grew wide and the blush deepened. “Um..” she started.

Nick smiled. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be so forward. I don’t know anyone here and it’s nice to meet someone who not only loves to draw as much as I do, but also likes dogs.” he gave her a wink. “I promise I’m not a psycho or anything.” 

She laughed softly and nodded. “Sure. I’ll have a drink with you.”

Nick’s smile increased across his face and he got lost momentarily in the blue of her eyes. He was really looking forward to this. He was thankful he’d been late enough to force him into this seat instead of one in the back of the classroom that he usually occupied. He was broken from his reverie by the sound of the classroom door banging open.

His eyes drifted to the door and felt his breath hitch as a tall dark haired man entered the room. He was dressed in a tailored navy blue jacket with a white undershirt. His khaki dress pants seemed to be painted on as he moved further into the room and walked to the front of the class. He placed his briefcase down on the table and took off the suit jacket, folding it over one arm before placing it on the back of the desk chair. He shook his arms out in front of him and began unbuttoning the small buttons on his dress shirt before flicking his wrists and folding the material up his arms. Nick watched him in awe, his eyes unable to leave the small actions the man took. Once his sleeves were rolled up he picked up a piece of chalk from the blackboard in front of him and scrawled his name across it. Professor Richardson it read. Nick’s eyes never left the figure and as the man turned to address the class, Nick felt his mouth grow dry. 

Professor Richardson stood in front of the room, his long black hair pulled back in a low ponytail. His face was adorned with silver wire rimmed glasses that made him seem sophisticated and older than Nick had originally thought. 

“Welcome to Live Model drawing. I am assuming everyone is in the correct place?” He looked over all the students and gave them a moment to nod and smile. He nodded once and folded his arms over his chest. “Very good. This is going to be a tough class. I’m not going to lie to you about that. You’re going to be pushed further than you ever have, you may even hate drawing by the end of this class. I can guarantee you will hate me. They say I am impossible to please.” he gave them a wicked smile. “And they are correct. But you’re still going to work as hard as you can to change my mind.”

Nick felt Kimmie’s eyes on him and he turned in his chair to look at her. Her eyes were wide and a scared look was on her face. Nick knew his own face mirrored the sentiment. What in the world had they signed up for? Granted it was his first year of college and his first year taking any kind of professional drawing class, but every class up until this point had been encouraging and left him feeling like he’d made the right decision to come to the School of Visual Arts instead of attending the community college his parents wanted him to enroll in to study business. He tried to push down the feeling of terror he felt and tried to focus on the rest of what Professor Richardson was saying. He did not want to piss off the other man already. He gave Kimmie a weak smile and returned his gaze to the front of the class. This was going to be a long semester.

\--

Nick checked the crowded room of the bar, his eyes scanning faces for Kimmie's bright blue eyes. He had changed three times before he was finally satisfied with his appearance, but he was still anxious to see if she would stand him up or not. His track record wasn't that great. He'd only had one long term relationship, his high school sweetheart that ended badly when she went off to college on the West Coast. That had been almost three years ago, and nothing since then had really stuck. 

He stood off to the side of the door. He was almost ready to say fuck it and head back out the door when he finally located her in a booth against the back wall. He quickly made his way through the crowded room and slid into the booth seat across from her. Her eyes lit up as he sat down. 

"Hey," she said softly, her fingers playing idly with her straw wrapper. 

"That was intense today." Nick said running a hand through his mop of blonde hair. 

She laughed. "Yeah. If I'm being perfectly honest, he scared the shit out of me and I am very scared to go back on Wednesday." 

Nick nodded. "This is my first year. I had some financial stuff and I had to delay starting school a few years to work so I didn't know what to expect, but to come in and have a speech like that on my first week isn't something that sets my mind at ease about the whole thing. "

She nodded. "He's very intense. This is my second year here. I went to the University of New York for the first year to get some of the core classes done. It was closer to home and I hadn't settled in drawing as something I wanted to pursue full time." 

Nick nodded. "I love to draw, and paint. I haven't ever been instructed formally though. Everything I know I taught myself. I figured I have a lot to learn about technique and form, but I have the basics down." 

"I'd love to see your stuff sometime." She said, looking up and meeting his eye. 

Nick returned the smile and felt his stomach do a flip flop. She was beautiful and best of all she actually seemed interested in what he had to say. It had been so long since he'd had even a meaningful conversation with someone else. 

"I'd like that." he answered honestly. "I'd like to see yours too." 

They fell into easy conversation, talking about their childhoods, ambitions and drawing styles. He learned she was an only child and enjoyed volunteering in her free time. She even taught a basic drawing class for kids at the local library. He told her about his family and siblings and all the crazy things they got into when they were together. It was comfortable and easy. Nick wondered if she felt the same connection he did. He tried to show her how interested in her he was, keeping eye contact and gently touching her hand every once in a while. 

"So I asked around after class. Apparently Professor Richardson is one of the hardest the university employs. I have a friend who took the class last year and had to drop it. Apparently he had her in tears at the end of every class." Kimmie said as she took another drink from her glass. 

Nick shook his head. "That doesn't give me much hope. He seems very intense. I'm nervous for the next class. I think he said there would actually be a model there so he could get a baseline for where each of us were." 

Kimmie shook her head. "Yeah. I get it. I just don't want to cry every day just trying to pass a class." 

Nick placed his hand over hers and rubbed the back of her hand. "Let's make a pact to help us get through this together. If he's unfairly critical to either one of us then it's the other person's job to encourage. Maybe if we stick together we can make it through the class." 

She looked down at his hand over hers and smiled as she caught his eye. Nodding she laced their fingers together and squeezed back. "That sounds wonderful. Sometimes all you need to balance out the bad is a little bit of good." 

He leaned back in his seat and picked up his drink with his left hand, keeping his right tangled with hers. Maybe this semester wouldn't be so bad after all. 

\--

Wednesday came quicker than Nick anticipated. He’d spent Tuesday going to classes and working his evening job in the library. He hadn't talked to Kimmie since the other night and he found himself both looking forward to seeing her and dreading the class. He planned on asking her out again for Friday evening and could only hope she would agree. He grabbed his drawing supplies and his backpack and he hurried out of his dorm room. He didn't want to be late, knowing how hard of an asshole Professor Richardson made himself out to be. Nick wasn't in the mood for a lecture about punctuality. 

He actually beat Kimmie to class and hesitated briefly before sitting down. What if she had actually gotten spooked enough about the professor to drop the class? He wasn’t sure he would be able to make it through the class without someone else to bond and complain with and since it was a required class, Nick knew he had to attend. He had just finished setting up his things when Kimmie breezed into the room. A smile crossed his face the moment their blonde eyes met. She gave him a smile and a little wave as she made her way up the steps and to their table from the bottom of the classroom. 

“Hey.” she said as she dropped into the seat beside him. 

He swung his seat closer to her and smiled. “Thought you bailed on me.” he said with a smile. 

She returned it with one of her own and reached in her bag for her drawing pad. “Not a chance. Can’t leave you all alone here.” she flirted. 

He smirked. “Speaking of leaving me all alone, want to go out with me on Friday night?” he asked hopefully.

She took a second to think about it before nodding her answer. “Sure, sounds great.”

The rest of the conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Professor Richardson. He swooped into the room right behind the last student. His jacket was already off this time and he was being followed by an elderly woman. He helped her to a seat in the front before he dropped his jacket and briefcase on the table and turned to the rest of the class. 

Nick felt his stomach flutter as his eyes landed on the older man. He couldn’t figure out why he kept having this reaction every time he laid eyes on the instructor. There was something about him that drew Nick in. He had never been so enthralled with another man before. He didn’t want to give that particular fact a lot of thought. 

“He seems in a good mood today.” Kimmie whispered, leaning over closer to Nick. 

He couldn’t tear his eye away from the other man and nodded his reply. Professor Richardson was introducing the woman to the class. She was one of the art history professors and would be their first model assignment. Nick watched closely as the professor produced a stool from a small closet on the far right wall of the room. Once he had it where he wanted it, he helped the model onto the stool. When he was sure she was content and comfortable he turned to address the class. 

“Your first assignment will be to provide me a rough sketch of Mrs. Lionhart. You have two hours. When the class is over I want you to turn in whatever you have and I will grade accordingly. I will be walking around and observing you as you sketch. Let’s begin.” he clapped his hands once to emphasise the beginning of the exercise and walked back over to the table to arrange his things. Nick still focused his attention on his teacher, watching as he once again unbuttoned the sleeves of his dress shirt and rolled them up his arms. 

“You better get started before he catches you.” Kimmie’s voice came softly from his left. He swallowed hard and blinked, breaking his intense gaze on the other man.

He glanced at her quickly and nodded, trying to ignore the odd look she was giving him. He looked down at his drawing pad and picked up one of his charcoal pencils to begin. He fell into the assignment, creating lines and shapes of the art history professor. He saw the sketch clearly in his mind and every line he drew only helped to bring his vision to life on the paper. He was so focused on what he was doing he didn’t even realize Professor Richardson making his rounds. Nick jumped slightly when he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. He jerked backwards, dropping his pencil in the process. He turned in his swing chair and felt the breath catch in his throat as his eyes met the intense green eyes of the other man. They were a deep emerald green with specks of gold. Nick had never seen eyes more beautiful. He tried not to let his mind focus in on the thought that had just crossed his mind. Since when did he find another man’s eyes beautiful? This was all so strange to him.

“Ease up on the amount of shading you are doing on the side.” Professor Richardson said as he pointed to a section of Nick’s sketch that was getting a little dark. 

Nick looked where the finger was pointing and nodded. It was getting rather dark, more so than he’d originally intended.

“What’s your name?” the professor questioned. 

“Nn Nick. Nick Carter.” Nick stammered, suddenly very aware of the hand still firmly resting on his shoulder. 

“Is this your first art class Mr. Carter?” the older man questioned further.

“Yes, sir.” Nick had no idea when he had fallen into a submissive response to the other man. He felt something flutter in his chest and a hot heat radiating from the direction of the ill placed hand. He swallowed hard and waited to hear what would be asked of him next. 

The professor nodded. “There’s still a lot of work to be done. Your form is off and your lines are sloppy. This all can be corrected with discipline and the correct direction. You have a raw talent however, harvest it. Embrace the creative spirit inside of you and allow emotion into your work. Your sketch is skittish, forced. Where is the movement? You need to put a little piece of yourself in everything you create. Only then can you call yourself an artist. “

Nick gazed up into those eyes again and nodded once more. “Thank you.” he said quietly. He wasn’t sure what else he should say. It wasn’t the worst feedback, but it also wasn’t the best either. He wanted the professor to walk away, but he also wanted him to stay there, his hand resting comfortably, fingertips softly touching his neck.

Nick took a deep breath as the professor removed his hand and moved on to examine Kimmie’s work. What the hell was wrong with him? The strange feeling of desire he felt when the other man touched him was confusing and made his stomach hurt. Maybe it was just an ill-placed feeling. Over excitement about his upcoming date with Kimmie transferred into this little, whatever this was he felt every time he saw the professor. He tried to go back to his sketch, but found it almost impossible with the dark haired man standing so closely to his seat. He turned his head a little too far to the right so he could attempt to watch him and Kimmie out of the corner of his eye. He watched them talking quietly together and felt a dark sense of jealousy settle over him. He just wasn’t sure which one he was jealous of. 

\--

Friday's class was more of the same. By the time he left his dorm room to meet Kimmie for their date he felt completely turned inside out. He still couldn’t keep his eyes off the professor and felt a strange feeling wash over him everytime he thought about him. He tried hard to push the thoughts away and had been doing well until the professor asked to see him after class. 

“Nick, would you mind giving me a moment or two of your time after class?” Professor Richardson called out as they were packing up their things. 

Nick hesitated, throwing a glance at Kimmie to see her eyes wide in fear. What could he possibly want with him after class? Nick meekly nodded, his heart hammering hard in his chest. His hands shook softly and he found it difficult to pack up the rest of his supplies, dropping several pencils back on the table instead of into his pencil box he was trying to pack. 

Kimmie shot him a small smile. “Meet me tonight at Lucilles?”

Nick nodded quickly. “I’ll be there by 8.” he managed a soft smile and allowed his gaze to slide to the front of the room where Professor Richardson was watching them intently. Nick ducked his head and quickly stuffed the rest of his things into his bag and forcefully zipped it closed. He was nervous, not only about whatever it was the instructor wanted to go over with him, but also about being alone with the older man. Looking up he realized the entire room had cleared out except for the two of them. He walked carefully down the steps to the bottom of the classroom, convinced he would trip over his own two feet and end up embarrassing himself further. 

Once he reached the main level of the classroom, he allowed his eyes to slide over and take in the sight of the other man. He was again struck by how deep the green of his eyes were and he felt his palms begin to sweat. He shoved his hands inside his hoodie pocket so the tremor he was feeling coursing through them wouldn’t be visible. 

He cleared his throat, “You wanted to see me?”

Professor Richardson nodded and opened his portfolio binder, extracting two papers and placing them in front of Nick. One of them was his sketch from Wednesday and the other contained several lines of handwriting. “I’ve had time to look over your sketch. While there are quite a few things that can and will be improved by your work in this class, I can also appreciate the talent you currently possess. Each year I take in two or three students from my classes and I give them individualized critiques and instruction to help them get to their maximum level of potential. Every student I have mentored so far has gone on to have works chosen for the student art show at the end of the year. I’d like you to be one of those students, but that’s only if you are willing to put in the time and effort into making your art your life.”

Nick stared at him dumbfounded for several moments. He wasn’t sure what to say. He thought his work was good enough to benefit from additional training and instruction? He thought Nick had the potential to be included in the art show? The School of Visual Art’s student art show was legendary. A lot of young and budding artists in and around the city got their starts by being included in the show and now here was a professor saying he had the same potential. 

“I..I don’t know what to say.” Nick managed to stumble over the words. 

Professor Richardson nodded. “I can understand this is all a little overwhelming. What I am proposing will take up quite a bit of your time. You will do additional drawings, projects I select and you will be critiqued higher and harder than your peers. I don’t like to waste my time, so if this isn’t something you are interested in, I would prefer you tell me now.”

“I’m very interested.” Nick blurted out, “But also a little overwhelmed, like you said.” he ran his fingers through his hair as he tried hard not to look at the other man. “I never imagined anyone thinking my work was good enough for something like this.”

The professor frowned. “Have you had other instructors tell you that?”

Nick shook his head. “No, I’ve never had any formal art training. My...my parents don’t really see art as a way to support myself. That’s why I’m a few years older than most everyone here. I had to work for three years to save enough money for tuition. I work nights at the campus library to help cover my expenses. Having a campus job means my room and board is covered, but I still have to pay for tuition and anything else I need. My parents refused to help me if I wouldn’t go to a “real school”.” Nick said as he made quotes with his fingers.

Professor Richardson moved closed and leaned his hip against the edge of the table. Nick was acutely aware of how close they were currently standing. He couldn’t be bothered to move away. He swallowed hard and brought his shaking hand back inside his front pocket. He twisted his fingers together out of the sight of his teacher so his shaking hands wouldn’t be noticed. 

“Don’t let anyone ever tell you art isn’t important.” the professor said quietly. “A similar situation happened to me and I listened. I squandered my talent and I allowed the world to beat me down. I lost out on a lot of great opportunities because I was afraid of rocking the boat and stepping out of the plan that everyone else had for my life. I don’t want the same thing to happen to bright young students like yourself who have the whole world at their feet.” he reached up and placed each hand on either side of Nick’s biceps. 

Nick looked down at the hands touching him, that same familiar heat was once again radiating from the touch of the other man. He looked up and almost gasped at how close the other man actually was to him. If he rocked his hips forward, pushed just a little bit, he would be able to brush his lips against the other mans. He jolted backwards suddenly, his own thoughts frightening him. Professor Richardson dropped his hands and stepped backward, putting them on the table in front of him.  
“Just think about it. Let me know your decision on Monday.” he said quietly as he busied himself gathering his things. 

Nick didn’t respond. He took one last look at the older man and then darted from the room. His breathing didn’t return to normal until he was back outside in the afternoon sunshine. He’d skipped his next class and went straight back to his dorm, praying his roommate was anywhere else. Thankfully the room was empty when he entered twenty minutes later. His face was flushed and he was still having a hard time keeping his breathing under control. He tossed his backpack into his desk chair and fell face first into the cool sheets on the bed. He kicked his shoes off with his feet and snuggled deeper into the pillows.

What in the world was going on with him? It was almost like he had a crush on the older man, that he found him attractive. That couldn’t be the case at all. Nick had never once in his life been attracted to another man. So what was it about this professor that made his knees go weak? He buried his face into the pillow and fell into a fitful sleep, his mind wrestling with different images and feelings. 

He’d woken up late for his date with Kimmie. A glance at the clock on the nightstand told him it was already after seven. He needed a shower and knew he would have to move quickly to be out of the dorm on time. He grabbed his clothes and his shower gear and raced down the hallway to the communal shower. Once he was clean and dressed he went back to his room to grab his wallet and keys before bounding out of the dormitory and into the parking lot to his old beat up truck. It wasn’t much, but it was paid off and got him from point a to point b. He headed into town and was pulling up at the college bar at 8:05. 

Lucille’s was a popular hang out spot for the two universities in the area and on a Friday night it could get pretty crowded. There were lots of drink specials, room to dance and play pool and everyone’s favorite, a karaoke stage. He pushed his way inside through the throngs of people. 

He made his way to the bar and ordered a beer as he looked around the room for his date. He found Kimmie standing at one of the high top tables in the back room of the bar, talking to a group of girls. He made his way closer to her, coming up behind her and placing a hand on her hip. She turned around against him and smiled. 

“Hey you. I was starting to think you were standing me up.” she placed her hand against his chest and turned completely around, his arm still wrapped around her side. 

“Of course not.” he said with a smile as his blue eyes gazed down at hers. He tried to push his feelings from earlier in the day aside as he moved in closer and brushed his lips over hers. She responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body tight against his. 

He tried to lose himself in the feeling of her warm and soft against him. He deepened the kiss, darting his tongue against her lips until she opened her mouth to him. Once he got entrance he licked and caressed every inch of her mouth as his hips ground against hers. 

She was breathless as they pulled away, her arms still secretly wrapped around his neck. “Well that was a nice hello.” she said grinning up at him.

He grinned back and stepped backwards as he tried to ease his body reaction down. He took her by the hand and led her further into the bar until they found an empty table to sit out. He slid into the booth and pulled her in beside him, his arm still securely wrapped around her lower back. She leaned into his touch and he liked the way she felt curled around his side. They fell into easy conversation and Nick had forgotten about his earlier discomfort until she brought up his after class meeting.

“Why did Professor Richardson ask to see you after class?” She asked innocently as she shook an ice cube out of her drink into her mouth. 

Nick stiffened beside her and tried to keep his mind on the way the slippery wet liquid glistened on her lips as she sucked on the melting cube, but he found his thoughts drifting to their professor and how it had felt to have the older man’s hands on his arms. He was silent for a moment as he watched one thing and thought hard about another. Finally he realized too much time had passed without an answer and he shook himself back to reality. 

“Uh, he wants to mentor me. He said I have a lot of potential and wants to give me special projects to work on and I would be graded differently and his feedback would be even more intense than the regular class.” Nick said as he leaned back against the worn vinyl of the booth.

Kimmie smiled up at him, her blue eyes sparkling in the dimly lit bar. “Nick, that’s amazing. My friend, the one I told you about before, told me he does that. He hand selects a small group of students from all of his classes and works with them outside of class. From what I heard he even helps you get into the student art show.”

Nick nodded and took another swig of his beer. “Yeah, that’s what he said. He said he’s never had a student not have a piece of work chosen to be in the show.”

She reached for his hand and squeezed their fingers together. “This is so exciting! You told him yes, right?”

Nick hesitated. He wasn’t even sure how he could explain the encounter to an outside observer. He felt strange about the whole thing. He knew he had over reacted by running out of the classroom, but he knew if he’d stayed he would have ended up doing something really stupid. Nick had no idea what that was, but he also didn’t really understand his current feelings and didn’t really trust himself anymore, especially when it came to the older man.

“I uh. I told him I’d think about it. He wants an answer by Monday.” Nick said quietly, ignoring her wild eyes and instead focused on his beer.

“What is there to think about?” she hit his arm playfully and settled back against him. “I would give my right arm to have someone with his talent want to mentor me.”

Nick laughed. “You wouldn’t have any talent without your dominant arm, so I supposed it would still be a loss for you.” 

She slapped him harder that time. “You know what I meant.” she huffed. 

He pulled her closer and grinned. “I do. What do you mean with his talent? Have you seen something he’s done?”

Kimmie pulled back and looked at him. “You don’t know who he is?”

Nick shook his head. “I just thought he was a drawing professor.”

Kimmie’s face showed nothing but shock. “Seriously?”

Nick frowned. “Yes, what is it that you thought I knew?” his curiosity was now piqued. He had no idea Professor Richardson was more than just a regular professor. The words the older man had spoken to him earlier that afternoon about not taking opportunities flashed briefly in his mind.

“He was an aspiring painter. He was featured in several art shows and was on track to be one of the biggest things New York had seen for years. From what I was able to find out online his talent was extraordinary.” Kimmie said as she played with the ice in her glass again.

The waitress stopped by their table and took another drink order. Once she had left them alone again, Nick turned his attention back to their conversation. “You said he had talent. What happened.”

Kimmie’s eyes grew darker. He wasn’t sure if it was from the copious amounts of alcohol she’d downed in the past hour or the story she was trying to tell him. “He was in a car accident. I couldn’t really find out all the details. Apparently his right arm was crushed and it had to be rebuilt. He lost a lot of feeling in his hand and wrist and he can’t paint anymore. “

Nick felt sick. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he suddenly lost the ability to draw. How in the world could the older man teach and mentor other students when his own talent and passion had been so ruthlessly taken from him? No wonder he was so hard on his students and pushed them to be the best they could be. He lost himself in his thoughts of the other man and barely even noticed when their drinks came. 

“You okay?” Kimmie asked as she leaned in closer, her head resting gently against his chest. 

Nick nodded. Suddenly this felt all wrong. Being here in the bar with Kimmie. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. His mind was spinning a million miles an hour and he felt an overwhelming desire to be alone.

“I need to go.” he said softly. “Do you want me to take you home?” he questioned looking at her closely.

She shook her head. “I came here with some friends. I’ll catch a ride back with them.”

“Are you sure? Promise you won’t drive, not like this.” he said motioning to her glass. 

She nodded and made a cross motion against her chest. “I promise.” she leaned in and brushed her lips against his cheek. “I’ll see you Monday?”

He nodded and slid out the other side of the booth. He opened his wallet and took out some cash before handing it to her to pay for their drinks. She smiled and took it, giving him a wave. 

He made his way through the crowded bar and finally he was outside on the sidewalk. His face was heated from the alcohol and the information. He made his way to his truck, his thoughts squarely on the older professor. 

\--

Nick pushed the rolling cart back behind the circulation desk as he began loading it up with returned books. He set to work quickly organizing them by their Dewey decimal number to make shelving them go quicker when he was back out on the floor. He was so busy with his chore that he didn't notice the figure waiting for assistance at the desk. As he finished the final shelf of the cart, he turned to pick up the waiting books in the drop box and jumped slightly when he noticed Professor Richardson standing in front of him. 

"Hey. Hi… uh, can I help you?" Nick asked as he stumbled over the words he was trying to say. Something about this man made him incredibly nervous and he ended up sounding like a love struck teenager rather than the 22 year old man he was. 

The professor gave him a sly smile. "Are you always this nervous and jumpy?" 

Nick felt his cheeks tint, the heat from his embarrassment drifting up his neck. "No, not usually." Nick answered honestly. 

The smile on the older man's face increased. "Ah, so it's just me who makes you nervous." 

Nick bit the inside of his cheek to keep his cool, but stammerd anyway. "Well.. Umm..yeah, you're my teacher." 

Professor Richardson eyed him curiously, his gaze sweeping Nick's long frame and made him even more nervous than he was already. Nick shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, the direct gaze of the other man beginning to be too much. 

"Did you need something?" Nick asked softly, his eyes still not able to look up and meet the older man's. 

Professor Richardson laid his arms on the circulation desk and leaned in closer. "I was in the building and I saw you working. Just wanted to see if you'd given any more thought to my proposal." 

Nick looked up at him then. He'd sought Nick out for his answer? Nick wasn't sure if he should be elated or scared shit less. He searched the professor's eyes but found nothing to indicate a joke. Nick finally nodded his head, the blonde strands falling into his eyes and he brushed them back in frustration. 

"Yeah, uh, I want to give it a shot. Give you a shot." Nick realized what he had said and stuttered quickly trying to rectify his mistake. "I mean, I want to give your program a chance. I want to learn from you." 

The professor's mouth was set in a smirk and Nick tried really hard not to let the sight affect him. "We'll then Mr. Carter." he said, his voice lower than it had been just moments before. "Meet me after class tomorrow. I'll let you give me a shot then." he gave Nick a wink and pushed himself away from the desk. 

Nick watched him walk away. His mouth was suddenly dry. He needed to take a break and collect himself. Grabbing his laptop, he signaled to Justin in the back to let him know he was leaving the desk and headed out onto the floor with a bottle of water. Once he was settled into the chair he quickly opened the computer and typed the professor's name into the search engine. 

The first thing that came up was his staff page on the university website. Nick clicked the link and navigated to the bio. Dr. Professor Kevin Richardson had a Masters Degree in Art & Design and had been teaching for the past eight years. Nick was impressed. He wondered if the older man had a doctrinte why he didn't insist on being called Dr. Nick knew other people who had masters degrees and they loved rubbing the title in other people's faces. He quickly scanned the bio but saw nothing else of relevance to his goal of learning more about the other man. Now that he had the full name however he would be easier to find. He typed the professor's full name into the search bar and drank another gulp of his water while he waited for the search to return. The first thing that popped up on the page was a Google image result of a mangled sports car. Nick felt his heart leap into his throat and with shaky hands he clicked in the image. It opened into a news article for the local newspaper.

He sat the bottle of water down and hunched over the computer as he read. Nine years ago Kevin Richardson had been involved in a hit and run accident. The car had been crushed and totaled to the point that the first responders had to cut him out of the vehicle with the Jaws of life. He was lucky to still be alive, but had suffered severe damage to his arm, had a concussion and gash on his head and possibly suffered spinal cord damage. Nick felt worse the more he read. He couldn't believe the older man had gone through all of this and still managed to walk around relatively able. Nick looked through several photos of the accident, each and every one turned his stomach more than the next. How had he survived the accident at all? Nick couldn't ever remember seeing a vehicle look more mangled. 

He scrolled further down in the article and felt his breath hitch in his throat. There were several images of paintings, oil on canvas mostly and they were absolutely stunning. What would it have been like to have this incredible talent and then lose it all in one fleeting moment? Nick couldn't stop the tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes. Drawing was everything to him. If he couldn't draw he would have nothing left. How had Professor Richardson managed to pull himself together well enough to continue on? He gained a new appreciation for what the professor had gone through and was more determined than ever to take the opportunity he was given to grow his own skills and learn all he could. 

\--

The next few weeks went by in a blur. Not only was Nick trying to keep up with all of his other classes, and his job, but he was also spending two nights a week and Sunday afternoon working one on one with Professor Richardson. He still tried to see Kimmie whenever he could but it was becoming more and more difficult. The first session with the professor he expected to be short so he had made a date with Kimmie for a couple hours after. It was surprising to him how easily they fell into conversation when it was just the two of them alone in the classroom. Professor Richardson had asked Nick to bring his portfolio to the first session and he had spent more than two hours flipping through several pages giving Nick feedback and taking notes. 

Nick loved the attention and was genuinely interested in the things the other man had to say but he found the hour getting later and had checked his watch discretely several times knowing Kimmie would be at Lucilles waiting for him. The last time he'd done it, Professor Richardson had caught him. 

"If I am keeping you from something you'd rather be doing, let me know and I won't waste anymore of your time." he had said rather harshly. 

Nick felt about two inches tall and rushed to smooth the frustration. "No! I mean, you're not wasting my time. I should have asked you how long the class would take and I made plans for after. I just have someone waiting on me and I feel guilty. I am really sorry. I'm getting a lot out of your feedback." 

Professor Richardson closed his notebook and pushed back from the table they were sharing. "I cannot give you definitive times on our sessions. Each one is unique and based solely on the material and your reaction to it. If you want to continue to meet with me I would suggest you keep your schedule open." 

Nick watched him as he grabbed his jacket and strolled out of the room. Nick was left shocked and alone at the table. He had no idea how to react to the older man's sudden departure. He glanced at his watch again and cursed. If he didn't hurry he would have two pissed off people at him this evening and the one was already enough. 

After that night he had made sure to keep the rest of his day free so as not to interfere with his time with the professor. He was still incredibly nervous around him and felt the weird attraction to him grow deeper every time they met alone. He found himself watching him closely, the way he talked with such passion about the art or the project they were working on. Nick could stare into his emerald green eyes for hours, getting lost in the flecks of gold. 

He watched his hands as well. It wasn't until a month into their sessions that he noticed the slight tremble in the other man's wrist as he held his pencil against the paper. The lines the older man drew were not as straight as they should be and Nick felt an ache deep inside about what the other man had lost. He wanted to bring it up, to discuss it, but he had no idea how and he wasn't even sure the professor would talk with him about it. 

Things with Kimmie were hit or miss. They could go weeks without seeing each other and then the following week they would meet up every time Nick was free. He could tell she wanted more from him than a random night here or there, but Nick couldn't commit to anything more than what they were doing, and he wasn't even sure if what he was feeling for her was real or just a desperate attempt to focus on something besides his growing attraction to the older professor. 

That was something else Nick barely had time to think about. He still couldn't believe he was having these types of feelings for another man, especially one so much older and his teacher nonetheless. He tried to deny it, but every time their hands brushed against each other while working or Professor Richardson would lean over his shoulder while he drew he felt the heat curling in his belly and wondered what it would feel like to have the other man closer against him. 

He thought he was doing relatively well managing all of it. The stress of school and work, his special projects and his conflicting emotions. He couldn't have been more wrong. The whole thing blew up on him a month later. 

The live model this time was a very muscular man who drapped himself over a pair of fabric covered stairs. He was wearing a loose white cloth wrapped around his waist and nothing else. Nick has never drawn a nude man before and was having difficulty getting his outline down on paper the way he saw it in his head. He had stopped and started a dozen times, erasure marks littered his page and he was just getting ready to rip the entire page out of his drawing pad and start a new one when he felt the familiar presence of the other man behind him. He turned in his swivel chair and came face to face with the professor who was bending over the table to get a better look at Nick's drawing attempt. If Nick leaned even just the slightest bit closer he would be able to brush his lips against the other man's cheek. He cursed himself for even thinking such a thing and forced himself to pay attention to whatever the other man was saying. 

"Use the erase marks as a guide. Find out the part that is giving you such trouble focusing and do that first. Once the hard part is complete, the rest of the work will come together." the other man said as he reached out and rubbed his thumb across the charcoal sketch Nick was creating. The inky substance smeared and left traces of Grey against the pale light skin of the professor's thumb. Nick watched transfixed as he took his thumb and forefinger and rubbed the charcoal away before turning his gaze to Nick. 

Their eyes met and Nick felt a spark of electricity shoot off between them. He couldn't look away if he wanted to and allowed himself to take in the features of the other man. His black hair hung loose today, curling slightly around his shoulders. His ever present dress shirt was pulled up on his arms and he wore his glasses. Nick loved those glasses. He loved how they made the green eyes pop behind them, made the teacher appear more distinguished in a way. They stared at each other for more than a minute before Nick's eyes drifted slightly and landed on his shapely mouth. Suddenly Nick had images of what that mouth could do. How it would feel wrapped around him, licking and sucking his most intimate parts. 

He felt the heat return to his cheeks and he glanced up quickly, back into the professor's eyes. The older man was leaning against the table, one arm placed lightly underneath him and keeping him upright as he leaned in close to Nick. His mouth was turned up in a smirk and Nick noticed that now his deep green eyes were filled with laughter. He had caught Nick staring at him and found it amusing. Nick was horrified and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, realizing for the first time he was hard. Another man had made him hard, with just a stare. He felt his breath quicken and knew he needed this moment to end before he did something he would regret. 

He broke the gaze and looked back down at the drawing. He picked up his pencil again and pretended to get back to the task at hand. When the professor had watched him enough, he pushed himself off the table, his hip rubbing against the side of Nick's arm as he moved closer to Kimmie. Nick's eyes slammed shut the moment the other man touched him and he took several deep breaths to steady the tremble in his hand. When he looked back up he could feel Kimmie's eyes on him. He glanced at her briefly and saw her looking at him curiously, her head tilted to one side. He gave her a small smile and returned to his drawing, taking the given advice and starting with the most difficult part of the sketch first. 

He hadn't even realized the class was over when he felt Kimmie's hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly and peered up at her. "Are we still on for tonight or are you busy?" she asked, her eyes sliding towards the front of the classroom and landing on the professor. 

Nick watched her gaze and looked up, catching the professor's eye and blushed as he looked back down at the project he'd completed. It still needed a few more changes but overall he was pleased with his progress. He wasn't entirely sure what she was getting at but chose to ignore it. "No I'm not busy. Where do you want to go?" 

She gave him a soft smile. "How about you come back to my apartment. I'll make dinner."

Nick nodded and made plans to meet her a little after 8. Once she was gone he went back to packing up his supplies. He was pleased to see the professor still standing at the front of the classroom as he came down the stairs. 

"Bring your sketch with you tomorrow night Nick." the older man said as he packed papers into his briefcase. 

Nick nodded and gave him a wave before darting out the door. He didn't want to be alone with him at the moment. He needed to get his emotions in check before he completely ruined things with Kimmie, or worse, ruined his chance of getting into the student art show. 

Hours later he found himself seated at the counter high breakfast bar in Kimmie's apartment. He enjoyed spending time with her and had actually been looking forward to the date most of the day. He had a rare night off from all obligations and was ready to relax and unwind. What he wasn't prepared for, was the grand inquisition. 

"What was up with you and Professor Richardson today?" Kimmie asked as she twirled the spaghetti around on her fork. 

Nick had just taken a big bite and choked, the noodles trying to slide down the back of his throat. He coughed several times trying to keep the food down as he reached for his water glass. After several slow sips of water he managed to swallow the pasta enough to breath correctly. "What?" he managed to choke out. 

She glanced at him unphased, continuing to eat her pasta. "Yeah, you two looked super intense. You were staring at each other for like five minutes." 

Nick felt the heat in his cheeks and tried to think of a way to play it cool. Had it really been that long? It had only felt like a minute at the most but was it really long enough to draw the attention of other people? "I uh.. I don't really know I was just trying to understand what he was saying." he answered lamely, his eyes focused only on his plate. 

She looked at him curiously. "You sure that's all it was?" 

He felt the redness move up his chest and paint his cheeks. "I don't know what you are talking about." 

She hesitated. He could see her mouth moving like she wanted to say something and then decided against it. 

"What?" he pressed. 

She poked her tongue against the side of her cheek, making it jutt out away from her face. He could tell she still didn't want to say whatever it was she was thinking but he reached out and placed his hand over hers to let her know it was okay. "Is something going on? Like between you and Professor Richardson?" 

He felt like someone had dropped a bucket of ice water over his head. He pulled his hand back and stared at her, mouth agape. "I don't know what you are trying to say Kimmie, but nothing is going on outside of him helping me with my drawing. Fuck, I'm not gay." 

She looked at him closely, almost too closely for his liking. He felt like he was being inspected for signs of deceit and hoped she found none. "Okay. I believe you. It's not a big deal either way. I've been with bi guys before and he is smoking hot, I would completely understand." she went back to eating her dinner like what she said was no big deal. 

Nick swallowed hard and looked up into her big blue eyes, not even sure how to respond." I'm not bi either." he insisted. The only person I'm interested in is you." 

She smiled at him and got up to put her plate in the sink. With her back to him he could breathe a sigh of relief. That had been almost too close to call. He needed to get his shit together, for real this time and quit letting thoughts of the older man have any time in his mind. He finished the rest of his dinner and walked up behind her, placing his plate inside the sink with hers. 

He wrapped his arms around her waist and began placing kisses down the side of her neck. She responded immediately, pressing back into him and turning her head to give him better access to her throat. He kissed and bit his way down her neck before turning his attention to her collar bone. She was warm and soft under his hands and she smelled faintly of vanilla and strawberries. It was an intoxicating smell and he wanted more. He pulled her tighter against him and she responded by pushing her ass back into his hardening cock. The sensation sent tingles up and down his spine and before he could think about it he pushed his hips forward, pinning her against the front of the sink while he moved against her. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms backwards around him to grip around his neck. He continued his assault on her neck and her ass as he continued to push her further and further into the unforgiving sink. When he reached the beautiful curve of her shoulder he knew he needed more. He spun her around quickly and took her mouth in his in a brushing kiss as he pressed his cock hard into her center. He thrust against her several times before he broke the kiss and pulled away. Her face was red and her eyes wide. Her chest heaved with her breathing and in that moment he wanted nothing more than to be buried inside her. 

He reached for the button on her jeans but she beat him to it, unbuttoning them quickly and sliding them down her slim thighs. He watched her, mesmerized by the inches of skin that were slowly uncovered by her actions. He wasted no time reaching for his own button and in moments they were both naked from the waist down, breathing hard and panting. 

He reached for her then and after a quick glance around the kitchen he spun her around and pressed her tightly against the front of the refrigerator. He captured her lips again with his own and thrust his tongue inside. She met his in the middle and they licked and sucked each other as they moved from one mouth to the other. Finally he'd had enough. He broke the kiss and motioned for her to lift her leg. 

Wrapping one leg around his waist he lifted her up just enough for him to slide inside. He groaned as he was enveloped inside her tight, wet heat. He pushed her back against the refrigerator as he began a steady pace of moving in and out of her. She threw her head back and moaned, spurring him to go faster. He reached down and grabbed her ass, lifting her higher and wrapping her other leg firmly around his waist. From this angle he could fuck into her hard and deep as he moved quickly to bring them both to their release. 

Moments later when they came together, it was Professor Richardson's face that flashed through his mind. For the first time since the semester began he thought maybe he wasn't as straight as he wanted to believe.


End file.
